Some conveyor systems require items to be conveyed from one conveyor to another. In some applications, the conveyor system includes parallel conveyors wherein items need to be transferred from a first conveyor to a second conveyor. A turn-type conveyor changes the directions of the items and a strip belt merge conveyor typically completes the transfer of the items from the first conveyor to the second conveyor.
A strip belt merge transports items in a first direction, which is sometimes referred to as being along or parallel to an axis. Items are conveyed via a plurality of parallel belts extending along the first direction. A first end of the strip belt merge receives items, which are conveyed to the second end where they transported to the second conveyor. The second end of the strip belt merge is not perpendicular to the direction items are conveyed, which enables items to be merged onto the second conveyor.
Conventional strip belt merge conveyors are powered from the first end, which causes the belts to be pushed. The pushing may cause the belts to kink or bind, which limits the speed of the belts. This limit in the speed of the belts limits the speed of the entire conveyor system.